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07 Jan 2024

Ludwig Göransson Wins Best Original Score Golden Globe for ‘Oppenheimer’

The 2024 Golden Globes on Sunday (Jan. 7) marked the 81st annual ceremony for the awards show – and the first one since the Hollywood Foreign Press Association officially disbanded, meaning that the esteemed awards show — which kicks off awards season every year — is entering a new era.

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In the best original score – motion picture category, it was a stacked lineup of nominees: Jerskin Fendrix for Poor Things; Ludwig Göransson for Oppenheimer; Joe Hisaishi for The Boy and the Heron; Mica Levi for The Zone of Interest; Daniel Pemberton for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; and the late Robbie Robertson for Killers of the Flower Moon.

But when Andra Day and Jon Batiste opened the envelope (after freestyling a bit of the Super Mario Bros. video game soundtrack), they revealed Göransson was the 2024 winner for scoring Christopher Nolan’s epic blockbuster about the political intrigue and ethical complications that came with the advent of nuclear power during World War II.

“Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and thank you to Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas for inviting me on this journey and creating this masterpiece,” Göransson during his acceptance speech. “Working with Christopher Nolan has been an incredible experience. The way you use music in your films and storytelling has inspired a lot of people,” he said to Nolan, who was seated in the audience at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

“I also want to thank Cillian Murphy – I have been watching your face over and over again. It’s been an incredible experience and thanks for inspiring me. I want to thank all the musicians who play on this score, they’ve made an incredible effort, and I also want to thank my partner in life and partner in music, Serena (McKinney), for helping me realize this music. I love you.”

Göransson is a three-time Grammy winner, as well as an Academy Award winner for his Black Panther score. Unlike most Hollywood composers, he’s also part of a Billboard Hot 100 topper — he co-wrote and co-produced Childish Gambino’s 2018 No. 1, “This Is America.”

The Golden Globes are produced and owned by dick clark productions. Penske Media Corporation, Billboard’s parent company, is a part-owner of dick clark productions and has a partnership with Eldridge.

07 Jan 2024

Taylor Swift Loved This Moment in Ayo Edebiri’s Golden Globes Speech: Watch

Heard, chef! Taylor Swift couldn’t help but nod in agreement during The Bear star Ayo Edebiri’s acceptance speech for best actress in a TV series – musical or comedy at the 2024 Golden Globes on Sunday (Jan. 7).

The moment came in the middle of the actress’ speech, during which she thanked not only her costars, her family and fellow nominees, but some really behind-the-scenes people who have played a role in her career. “There’s so many people who I probably forgot to thank. Oh my god — all of my agents’ and managers’ assistants,” Edebiri, who plays chef Sydney, excitedly emphasized. “To the people who answer my emails, you are all the real ones! Thank you for answering my crazy, crazy emails. Yeah, I’m really, really grateful. If I forgot to thank you, I’m sorry, unless you were mean or something!”

As the actress, who earned her first Golden Globe nomination and win for her work on the show’s second season, gave Hollywood assistants their shoutouts, the 12-time Grammy winner — whose Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour film is up for the cinematic and box office achievement award — couldn’t help but show she agreed with Edebiri’s acknowledgement of assistants, clapping, nodding and mouthing with a smile, “Oh yeah, yup!”

Earlier in the night, The Bear lead Jeremy Allen White, who plays Carmy on Hulu’s hit show, won for best actor in a TV series – musical or comedy.

The 2024 Golden Globes was hosted by Jo Koy and held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. It was produced by dick clark productions.

Watch Ayo Edebiri’s acceptance speech and Taylor Swift’s reaction to it below:

Penske Media Corporation, Billboard‘s parent company, is a part-owner of dick clark productions and has a partnership with Eldridge.

07 Jan 2024

Golden Globes Host Jo Koy Mocks the NFL’s Taylor Swift Obsession

On Sunday (Jan. 7) evening, the 81st annual Golden Globes (and first following the dissolution of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 2023) took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

2024 Golden Globes host Jo Koy couldn’t resist a joke about audience member Taylor Swift, a last-minute attendee whose 2023 concert film about her blockbuster Eras Tour, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, is nominated for the cinematic and box office achievement award, one of two new awards at the 2024 ceremony.

“As you know, we came on after a football double header,” Koy said early in the program, tipping to the fact that the Globes started airing on CBS right after an NFL showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift — I swear.”

The crack is a reference to the much-lampooned reality that ever since the world-famous pop star began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and attending numerous NFL games, NFL broadcasts have been replete with reaction shots of Swift watching her boyfriend from the crowd (not to mention a seemingly endless supply of Swift-related puns from NFL announcers).

In response to Koy’s joke, Swift gave a deadpan, poker face reaction and simply took a sip of her wine.

In his show-opening monologue, Koy also joked about Jared Leto, calling him “hot Jesus,” and the TV show Only Murders in the Building. “On that show you don’t know whose side to be on,” he said of the Selena Gomez-starring series. “That’s how I feel about Daryl Hall and John Oates,” he quipped, referring to the ongoing legal showdown between the Hot 100-topping pop duo.

07 Jan 2024

Taylor Swift Stuns on the 2024 Golden Globes Red Carpet in Slinky Green Dress

Is Taylor Swift‘s slinky green dress at the 2024 Golden Globes Reputation (Taylor’s Version)-coded? Whether her floor-length evening gown is meant to reference a Rep-era snake or not, the pop icon stunned on the red carpet before the Golden Globes ceremony, where Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was up for the cinematic and box office achievement award Sunday night (Jan. 7).

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Swift, adorned with De Beers jewelry (including what appeared to be a snake ring) and reportedly wearing a custom Gucci dress, could certainly “make the whole place shimmer” in her glamorous look.

With her hair down in soft waves (and the return of her signature bangs, after rocking a sideswept style most recently), the focus was her shiny, green gown; one could say its texture gave off snake-scale vibes, to the delight of fans hoping for a certain album whenever Swift announces her next re-recording. Swift’s elegant dress covered her shoes while baring her shoulders and back with its thin straps.

Inside at the ceremony, Swift was seen with friends — sitting next to Emma Stone, hanging out with Miles Teller’s wife, Keleigh, and posing for a photo with Selena Gomez.

See Swift’s full look and red carpet arrival below. Keep up with the the full list of 2024 Golden Globes winners here.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift at the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 7, 2024 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Gilbert Flores/Golden Globes 2024

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift at the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 7, 2024 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Gilbert Flores/Golden Globes 2024

07 Jan 2024

Ed Sheeran Reacts to First Emmy Win: ‘It Was a Real, Real Surprise’

Ed Sheeran wasn’t expecting to win an Emmy at the 2023 Primetime Emmy Creative Arts Awards.

Along with Max Martin and Foy Vance, Sheeran took home the award for outstanding original music and lyrics for “A Beautiful Game,” which they wrote for an episode of Ted Lasso. Night one of the 2023 Primetime Emmys took place Saturday night (Jan. 6).

“We won an Emmy last night. I was not expecting to win at all,” Sheeran, a first-time Emmy winner, wrote Sunday. “It was a real real surprise waking up to the news, I wish I had been there but I’m just about to kick off the Asia tour so had to be elsewhere sadly.”

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Sheeran then described how the Emmy-winning song came to be: “I wrote a song for Ted Lasso with Max Martin and @foyvance called ‘A Beautiful Game’. We were all fans of the show and got asked to do a song for the finale, so 2 years ago this month we got in together and wrote a song about love and football, and how it is always about the journey rather than the destination. I recorded a crowd at one of my stadium shows for it singing the final chant to keep it in the footie wibes.”

“It was up against some fantastic artists and songs in its Emmy category for Best Original Music and Lyrics, hence not thinking we had a chance in hell of winning, but thank you so much for whoever voted for it, and to Max, Foy and all the Lasso crew. I really am honoured. The song is out everywhere on all platforms if you haven’t heard it yet. Love you all ! And happy new year, see ya on the road,” said Sheeran.

Winners in five of seven music categories were announced on night one of the awards, which took place at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Winners in the other two music categories are to be announced on night two on Sunday (Jan. 7). The main Primetime Emmy telecast will air on Monday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on FOX.

See Sheeran’s reaction post below.

07 Jan 2024

Golden Globes 2024: Best Photos From the Red Carpet

The wait is over: The 2024 Golden Globes have arrived, and that means Hollywood’s brightest stars and hottest rising talents have hit the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday (Jan. 7) night.

With Jo Koy hosting, the Globes are airing live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET and livestreaming on Paramount+. The 2024 Golden Globes Awards can also be viewed live and on demand on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers in the U.S., or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs in the U.S. only.

One of the few awards shows that honors both movies and television, the Golden Globes bring out acclaimed on-camera performers and behind-the-camera talents for screens both small and large. Of the cinematic nominees, Barbie is this year’s leading Golden Globes nominee with nine nods, followed by Oppenheimer (eight), Killers of the Flower Moon and Poor Things (seven each), Past Lives (five), and Anatomy of a Fall, Maestro and May December (four each).

On the TV end of things, Succession is the leading nominee with nine nods, followed by The Bear and Only Murders in the Building (five each) and The Crown (four).

Emmy-winning producing duo Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry Entertainment are serving as executive-producing showrunners, with Weiss directing the show.

The Golden Globes are produced and owned by dick clark productions.

Penske Media Corporation, Billboard’s parent company, is a part-owner of dick clark productions and has a partnership with Eldridge.

07 Jan 2024

Here Are the 2024 Golden Globes Winners (Updating Live)

The 2024 Golden Globe Awards have arrived.

Billboard has you covered with all the night’s biggest winners here, including all the music-related prizes up top. Follow along all night for all the winners.

FILM

Best original song – motion picture

“Addicted to Romance” — She Came to Me; Music & Lyrics by: Bruce Springsteen

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“Dance the Night” — Barbie; Music & Lyrics by: Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Dua Lipa, Caroline Ailin

“I’m Just Ken” — Barbie; Music & Lyrics by: Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt

“Peaches” — The Super Mario Bros. Movie; Music & Lyrics by: Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond, John Spiker

“Road to Freedom” — Rustin; Music & Lyrics by: Lenny Kravitz

“What Was I Made For?” — Barbie; Music & Lyrics by: Billie Eilish O’Connell, Finneas O’Connell

Best original score – motion picture

Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things

Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer

Joe Hisaishi, The Boy and the Heron

Mica Levi, The Zone of Interest

Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon

Cinematic and box office achievement

Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 (Paramount Pictures)

Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures)

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (AMC Theatres Distribution)

Best motion picture – drama

Anatomy of a Fall (Neon)

Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple Original Films)

Maestro (Netflix)

Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)

Past Lives (A24)

The Zone of Interest (A24)

Best motion picture – musical or comedy

Air (Amazon MGM Studios)

American Fiction (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)

Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Holdovers (Focus Features)

May December (Netflix)

Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures)

Best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – drama

Annette Bening, Nyad

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall

Greta Lee, Past Lives

Carey Mulligan, Maestro

Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla

Best performance by a male actor in a motion picture – drama

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon

Colman Domingo, Rustin

Barry Keoghan, Saltburn

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers

Best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy

Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple

Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings

Natalie Portman, May December

Alma Pöysti, Fallen Leaves

Margot Robbie, Barbie

Emma Stone, Poor Things

Best performance by a male actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy

Nicolas Cage, Dream Scenario

Timothée Chalamet, Wonka

Matt Damon, Air

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Joaquin Phoenix, Beau Is Afraid

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Best performance by a female actor in a supporting role in any motion picture

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

Jodie Foster, Nyad

Julianne Moore, May December

Rosamund Pike, Saltburn

Da’vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Best performance by a male actor in a supporting role in any motion picture

Willem Dafoe, Poor Things

Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Charles Melton, May December

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Best director – motion picture

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Greta Gerwig, Barbie

Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Celine Song, Past Lives

Best screenplay – motion picture

Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Barbie

Tony Mcnamara, Poor Things

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Celine Song, Past Lives

Justine Triet, Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall

Best motion picture – animated

The Boy and the Heron (GKids)

Elemental (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures)

Suzume (Crunchyroll / Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Wish (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Best motion picture – non-English language

Anatomy of a Fall (Neon) – France

Fallen Leaves (Mubi) – Finland

Io Capitano (Pathe Distribution) – Italy

Past Lives (A24) – USA

Society of the Snow (Netflix) – Spain

The Zone of Interest (A24) – United Kingdom / USA

TELEVISION

Best television series – drama

1923 (Paramount+)

The Crown (Netflix)

The Diplomat (Netflix)

The Last of Us (HBO | Max)

The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

Succession (HBO | Max)

Best television series – musical or comedy

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Barry (HBO | Max)

The Bear (FX)

Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Best television limited series, anthology series or motion picture made for television

All The Light We Cannot See (Netflix)

Beef (Netflix)

Daisy Jones & The Six (Prime Video)

Fargo (FX)

Fellow Travelers (Showtime)

Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)

Best performance by a female actor in a television series – drama

Helen Mirren, 1923

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Sarah Snook, Succession

Imelda Staunton, The Crown

Emma Stone, The Curse

Best performance by a male actor in a television series – drama

Brian Cox, Succession

Kieran Culkin, Succession

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us

Jeremy Strong, Succession

Dominic West, The Crown

Best performance by a female actor in a television series – musical or comedy

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Elle Fanning, The Great

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face

Best performance by a male actor in a television series – musical or comedy

Bill Hader, Barry

Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Best performance by a female actor in a limited series, anthology series, or a motion picture made for television

Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & The Six

Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry

Elizabeth Olsen, Love & Death

Juno Temple, Fargo

Rachel Weisz, Dead Ringers

Ali Wong, Beef

Best performance by a male actor in a limited series, anthology series, or a motion picture made for television

Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers

Sam Claflin, Daisy Jones & The Six

Jon Hamm, Fargo

Woody Harrelson, White House Plumbers

David Oyelowo, Lawmen: Bass Reeves

Steven Yeun, Beef

Best performance by a female actor in a supporting role on television

Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown

Abby Elliott, The Bear

Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets

J. Smith-Cameron, Succession

Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building

Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

Best performance by a male actor in a supporting role on television

Billy Crudup, The Morning Show

Matthew MacFadyen, Succession

James Marsden, Jury Duty

Ebon Moss–Bachrach, The Bear

Alan Ruck, Succession

Alexander Skarsgård, Succession

Best performance in stand-up comedy on television

Ricky Gervais, Ricky Gervais: Armageddon

Trevor Noah, Trevor Noah: Where Was I

Chris Rock, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage

Amy Schumer, Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact

Sarah Silverman, Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love

Wanda Sykes, Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer

DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.)

07 Jan 2024

Shawn Mendes Dives Straight Into Snow Wearing Only Shorts: ‘You Can Take the Boy Outta Canada’

Baby, there’s nothing holdin’ him back! Shawn Mendes was like a little kid as he gleefully dashed outside to feel the snow in a video shared on Sunday (Jan. 7).

But the 25-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter was seemingly not under parental supervision when he went outside in only shorts — no shirt, no shoes and nothing to cover the bottom half of his legs, never mind a coat, hat, scarf or mittens.

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Mendes put on a brave face as he ran out to the snow-covered yard, carefree and barefoot, and laid right down on the ground, as seen in footage he posted on X and Instagram. While baring his abs in likely freezing temperatures, he admitted, “This is cold, bro.” In another video, he sledded down a small slope toward a wooded area, still barely clothed.

“you can take the boy outta Canada,” Mendes quipped in a caption for the clips. Fortunately, it looks like he warmed up by the fire (with a guitar) after his snowy plunge.

On Jan. 2, the pop star took to Instagram to reflect on the past year. “The biggest lesson for me this year has been to accept and welcome the lows of life… not to constantly need to change or fix something in order to feel high again, because i know if i really slow down and listen when i’m low there’s always something to hear,” Mendes noted.

See Mendes’ adventures in the snow in the videos below.

07 Jan 2024

Hip-Hop Wired Presents: CRT FRSH [Certified Fresh] Playlist 1.5.24

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Young African American man relaxing at home

What up, Hip-Hop Wired Nation? We’re back with the first CRT FRSH AKA Certified Fresh playlist of 2024! Part of our duty as a publication and crew is to school the masses on who is doing what musically and there’s no better way to do that beyond our CRT FRSH (Certified Fresh) bi-weekly playlist.

Disclaimer:

The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.

For a change of pace, I want to speak in my voice and explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I’m putting the list together, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. – D.L. Chandler

Welcome back to longtime supporters of the CRT FRSH playlist, and welcome to the new folks on board.

As explained above, our bi-weekly (which is the hope) playlist features 50 songs in total. The first half is typically bigger acts that most should already know about, while the second half is reserved for the vast, always improving underground scene. Since we didn’t do a top list of Hip-Hop projects list for 2023, this CRT FRSH update is dedicated to our favorite songs of last year.

Let’s get to it.

The playlist opens with Killer Mike’s “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS” and while the highlight of the song for most is the André 3000 verse, the artist born Michael Render also delivered on the track from his latest studio album, MICHAEL. 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne reconnected for the Welcome 2 Hollygrove project and while it was packed with standout moments, “Bars” stood out for us in 2023.

Drake is as polarizing an artist as any these days and there were mixed reviews for his latest album, For All The Dogs. With the six-pack Scary Hours 3 tacked on the deluxe version of the album, Drizzy got back into his elite rapping bag and traded verses with J. Cole on “Evil Ways” to pleasing results.

Speaking of polarizing, Doja Cat has her fair share of fans and detractors but she certainly had some tracks from her Scarlet project that stood out, notably “Paint The Town Red” among them. And Gunna, who dropped a strong AOTY contender in a Gift & a Curse, his “fukumean” single didn’t leave our rotation. We’re not in street business, we’re just checking out the music, thanks.

Benny The Butcher is now in the major leagues with Def Jam and was everywhere in 2023 with his dealings with the Black Soprano Family, features, and more. The track “Big Dog” with Lil Wayne finds the pair rocking over an amazing beat from The Alchemist.

The ladies got it in, and big up Nicki Minaj for coming back to reclaim her throne as the Queen from Queens. She dropped off Pink Friday 2, and “Everybody” with Lil Uzi Vert seemed to be a favorite of many who rocked the project.

Lay Banks and her viral “Ick” hit was everywhere, and “Put It On The Floor Again” saw an epic pairing of Latto and Cardi B in another song that fans on social media couldn’t get enough of. Megan Thee Stallion also came back with the triumphant “Cobra” track, signaling that she’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

Veeze dropped one of the most entertaining albums of 2023 in Ganger and the opening track “Not A Drill” set the tone for the Detroit spitter. In the deep trenches of the underground, the talented klwn cat showed off his impressive production chops on PRELUDE, linking with past collaborators Matt Draugos and unruly. Apollo Brown and Planet Asia once again locked in for the sequel to their stellar Anchovies album with Sardines and the track “Broad Dayin’” was the one of us.

Westside Gunn dropped what he says will be his final full-length studio in And Then You Pray For Me, an album we personally loved while longtime Griselda fans didn’t appreciate the trap-leaning tracks. That said, “Kostas,” produced by Tay Keith, features the aforementioned Benny The Butcher and a scene-stealing verse from Conway The Machine.

Speaking of Conway, La Maquina has his own situation with Drumwork Music Group, and his artist, 7xvethegenius (Love The Genius) is a star in the making. On the track “Flame” produced by Conductor Williams, 7xvethegenius and Conway trade bars in expert fashion. Washington, D.C. artist Sideshow is one of our favorite rappers to emerge in years, and his track “S.H.O.W. Ent” from his excellent 2MM DON’T JUST STAND THERE! album stayed on repeat.

MIKE, one of the young leaders of the underground Hip-Hop youth movement, delivered a masterpiece in his latest album, Burning Desire. With an emphasis on his production as dj blackpower, Big MIKE had several standout moments but our favorite was “Mussel Beach” featuring D.C.’s El Cousteau and Florida’s Niontay.

Larry June and The Alchemist teamed up for The Great Escape album and while the whole thing rides, “Orange Village” featuring Slum Village was our standout.

Salute to all the folks who helped provide the soundtrack for our daily grind such as Blaq Chidori, Rome Streetz, Stik Figa, Oddisee, Kipp Stone, Noname, Aesop Rock, Blockhead, Earl Sweatshirt, blank thought, Dave, Central Cee, Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Nas, Lil Tecca, Baby Keem, Kendrick Lamar among others. Thank you for your art.

We’ll be updating the CRT FRSH playlist in two weeks with 50 new tracks!

—

Photo: blackCAT / Getty

07 Jan 2024

Fans Choose Lewis Capaldi’s ‘Strangers’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

Lewis Capaldi‘s “Strangers” has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Jan. 5) on Billboard, choosing the Scottish musician’s new single as their favorite new music release of the past week.

“Strangers” brought in 65% of the vote, beating out new music by The Last Dinner Party (“Caesar on a TV Screen”), Green Day (“One Eyed Bastard”), Gabby Barrett (“You’re My Texas”), The Game and Big Hit (Paisley Dreams), and others.

Capaldi is in balladry mode on “Strangers,” which sees him stepping back into the familiar territory of his breakthrough hit single “Someone You Loved,” which spent three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2019.

The crooner’s signature tone, tinged with heartache, shines on the new track as he sings of his departed lover. It also pulls double-duty and reignites his ongoing feud with Liam and Noel Gallagher, as it mentions him and the object of his affection once bonding over a mutual dislike of Oasis’ “Wonderwall” (“You say you hate this song… my dear, you’re not the only one”).

Capaldi announced in a New Year’s Eve message that he would be releasing an extended version of his second album, Broken By the Desire to Be Heavenly Sent, on Jan. 1. The expanded set features five additional songs.

“Prior to my decision to f— off for a bit, I’d always hoped to release an extended version at some point!” the singer wrote on Instagram. “After some back-and-forth about whether or not it was the right thing to do, I’ve decided it would be a shame for these five extra songs, which are so incredibly special to me, to sit on my hard drive, never to see the light of day.”

Trailing behind “Strangers” on the poll is The Last Dinner Party’s stirring “Caesar on a TV Screen,” which brought in nearly 12% of the vote. The song will be featured on the alt-rock British quintet’s full-length debut, Prelude to Ecstasy, which is scheduled for release in February.

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.